Ceda-Planning

The City of Oakland has already provided leadership in the area of green building by passing Ordinance No.12658 C.M.S. This legislation requires that all City Building Projects covered under the Ordinance meet a minimum of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver under the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) rating system and be certified by the USGBC. The Oakland City Council, the City Planning Commission, and the Community and Economic Development Agency are considering mandatory Green Building requirements for certain types of private development. Mandatory green building requirements for private development will support one of the City Council's adopted goals to "Develop a Sustainable City", by "maximizing socially and environmentally sustainable growth, including conserving natural resources."

To date staff has held four stakeholder meetings, a community meeting, and several public hearings related to the components of a potential Green Building Ordinance. Below are links to the staff reports for more information on the process and specific thresholds.

City staff is still seeking public input on the Green Building thresholds. Staff has scheduled another public hearing before the

Your opinion is extremely valuable to us and we are requesting your participation in a short online survey. The purpose of the survey is to obtain valuable feedback from individuals and companies involved with development and building in Oakland. The survey covers your current exposure to and use of green building methods, systems, materials, as well as access to current City services. This information will be vital in helping the City improve its green building resources and services for you during the two year ordinance implementation period. With your feedback the City of Oakland can help you successfully achieve a green building project and easily comply with the future ordinance.

By completing the survey, you have the chance to win one of four $50 gift certificates to The Builders Booksource in Berkeley!

The currently proposed green building thresholds are dated July 27, 2009. Check back often to see whether these have been updated. The thresholds reference the current Build it Green and LEED rating systems. The proposal is anticipated to be based on the most updated versions.

Green Building is a holistic approach to siting, designing, constructing and operating buildings to reduce, eliminate or reverse the impacts of conventional building. Green Building benefits the environment, the community and the economy. In summary, Green Building is good design, construction, operation and maintenance!

Increased energy and water efficiency
Site integration
Natural resource conservation
Improved indoor air quality
Reduced utility, maintenance, and infrastructure costs

The demolition, construction, and use of buildings have an impact on the environment, the economy, and our health. Green buildings reduce energy use, conserve water indoors and out, limit solid waste during construction, and in urban areas reduce the amount of vehicle miles traveled by residents. All of these benefits have been found to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a green house gas (GHG) and contributor to global warming. In addition, green buildings are constructed from sustainable products that preserve natural resources through the use of local materials and recycled products. Green buildings benefit occupants through the use of healthy building materials, including zero to low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) and formaldehyde free products. In addition, green buildings encourage the growth of additional businesses and jobs in order to support the needs of the green building industry.

Consume 65% of electricity*
Generate 30% of greenhouse gas emissions*
Create 136 million tons of C&D waste each year*
Consume 12% of potable water**
Use 40% of raw materials globally+
Indoor air pollution is 2-5X worse inside than outside<>

United States Department of Energy
** United States Green Building Council
+ Natural Resource Defense Council
<> United States Environmental Protection Agency

Questions or Comments?
You can email your questions or comments to Heather Klein at hklein@oaklandnet.com or at (510) 238-3659.

*Note: The Green Building website is in the process of being updated over the next few months. Check back at this website for additional information about the planning efforts underway described below.

Sustainable Oakland

Mandatory Green Building Ordinance for Private Development